Ortiz, the assistant speaker, who has represented Assembly District 51 which includes parts of Red Hook, Gowanus, and Sunset Park since 1995, took frequent jabs from his challengers at a Wednesday night Zoom debate sponsored by the Sunset Park advocacy group UPROSE. His opponents — tenant organizer Marcela Mitaynes, urban planner Katherine Walsh, and tenant advocate Genesis Aquino — chided Ortiz for taking corporate, real estate, and police union contributions, as well as for an ethics scandal involving embezzlement of campaign funds by a former staffer.
An Assemblyman Accused His Opponents Of Putting “their knees on my neck” During A Debate